A Brilliant Puzzle-platformer, Enter The Gungeon On Mobile And Other New Indie Games Worth Checking Out

Welcome to our latest recap of what's going connected successful nan indie crippled space. Quite a fewer intriguing games dropped this week and immoderate high-profile ones person been ported to much platforms. Before we get to those, though, I'd for illustration to show you astir 1 of my favourite games of nan twelvemonth truthful far.

I struggle to afloat prosecute pinch galore RPGs. By and large, I'm not willing successful spending tons of clip optimizing my character, speccing retired a accomplishment character aliases scouring for nan very champion instrumentality to lucifer my playstyle. I find it acold much absorbing erstwhile a crippled offers a constricted toolset and a immense assortment of ways to usage those mechanics, typically by providing a mini number of abilities and powerups arsenic good arsenic really clever level design.

Such is nan lawsuit pinch Öoo, which arrived connected Steam past week and is nan latest crippled from Elechead developer Nama Takahashi. This is simply a puzzle-platformer that you tin complete successful 1 sitting and it's utterly captivating.

You play arsenic a caterpillar that uses a explosive — and later a 2nd 1 — to rustle worldly up and move around. If you want to scope a higher platform, you'll request to detonate a explosive you're sitting on. The controls are elemental too, arsenic you only request to move, and driblet and rustle up bombs.

The creation of this game, though, is thing but simple. There's almost nary matter here, moreover successful nan menus. You study by experimenting and figuring retired really to navigate what's successful beforehand of you. You'll person to backtrack a spot to lick definite puzzles. It's truthful mechanically tight that a 15-second trailer is each you request to understand what Öoo is about:

I smiled nan full measurement done this 1 — moreover erstwhile I sewage momentarily stumped — and I fto retired a satisfied chuckle aliases 2 erstwhile I figured retired solutions to problems. It helps that nan visuals (by creator Hachinos) and audio are charming arsenic hell. The title of nan crippled is perfectly terrific, too. The umlaut is important because it makes nan lettering look for illustration your characteristic pinch a brace of bombs trailing down it. This is emblematic of nan level of thought, attraction and item that Takahashi and co. person put into Öoo. That extends to nan extremity credits, which lists respective games that inspired this one. Such a beautiful touch.

Öoo reminds maine a spot of Animal Well. It doesn't person astir nan aforesaid level of extent arsenic 1 of our favorites of 2024, but it doesn't request to. It's cleanable nan measurement it is.

It besides brings to mind different cleanable game, Poinpy, pinch moreover composer Tsuyomi's activity reminding maine of that game's awesome music. I'm still sad that it's intolerable for maine to play Poinpy right now, arsenic it vanished from Netflix's catalog a while back. But Öoo did a bang up occupation of filling that spread successful my heart. I can't urge it highly enough.

Elsewhere, there's a beautiful small indie you tin prime up for free connected nan Epic Games Store correct now for PC, Android and (in nan EU) iOS. Hidden Folks is simply a relaxing hidden entity crippled by Adriaan de Jongh that features hand-drawn environments and funny, voice-generated sound effects. I'm only a small ways into this but I'm enjoying it truthful far. This week's different Epic Games freebie connected PC is ragdoll physics sim Totally Reliable Delivery Service.

Also, arsenic a speedy reminder, location will beryllium a ton of video crippled news dropping complete nan adjacent week arsenic nan world's biggest gaming event, Gamescom, is taking place. Check retired our Gamescom preview for specifications connected what to expect and really to watch nan various showcases and streams, and possibly support your fingers crossed for a Hollow Knight: Silksong release date, if you're truthful inclined. Join america connected Tuesday arsenic we liveblog our measurement done Opening Night Live. We'll beryllium bringing you nan tastiest news from nan arena passim nan week too.

New releases

A bonafide indie classical deed mobile devices this week. Bullet hellhole dungeon crawler Enter nan Gungeon (iOS, Android) and its sequel, former Apple Arcade exclusive Exit nan Gungeon (iOS, Android), are some free to effort and you tin support playing them aft making an in-app purchase.

These versions see touch controls, pinch patient Devolver Digital pointing retired that you tin "swipe, pat and flick your surface to conquer nan depths of nan Gungeon." The developers have, astatine agelong last, added online co-op truthful you tin play pinch your friends without having to beryllium successful nan aforesaid room. There's besides a crossover here, arsenic nan Lamb from Cult of nan Lamb becomes nan latest playable character.

The games' presence connected mobile could besides springiness seasoned Gungeon players a decent logic to revisit Dodge Roll's series. The iOS and Android ports could besides thief them walk nan clip until Enter nan Gungeon 2 arrives connected Steam adjacent year.

Another celebrated indie expanded to much platforms this week arsenic Dorfromantik (previously only disposable connected PC and Nintendo Switch) arrived connected PlayStation and Xbox, acknowledgment to nan thief of Headup. This strategy puzzle crippled from Toukana Interactive is each astir building retired a world utilizing hex tiles, which makes my Takenoko-loving aforesaid happy. It's a chill, beautiful crippled that'll still get your cognitive gears turning a bit.

A mobile type is besides successful development, but it won't beryllium a consecutive larboard of nan PC and console game. Instead, Toukana is moving pinch ClockStone connected a reimagining of Dorfromantik that's built from nan crushed up for touchscreen devices.

TMNT went turn-based for nan first clip successful bid history pinch Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tactical Takedown, which debuted connected PC backmost successful May. Strange Scaffold has now brought nan crippled to Nintendo Switch (only successful North America for now) and Xbox Series X/S. It's coming to Switch successful European regions astatine a later date.

PC players mightiness person a logic to return to nan game, arsenic Strange Scaffold has updated it pinch a Remix Mode. This adds galore much force types pinch caller moves and onslaught patterns, arsenic good arsenic tougher challenges.

Ra Ra Boom is a co-op, side-scrolling beat-'em-up from Gylee Games that landed connected PC (Steam and Epic Games Store), Xbox Series X/S and PS5 this week. I emotion nan premise, which sees ninja cheerleaders from outer abstraction descending to Earth to free nan satellite from a ambiance change-battling AI that possibly did its occupation excessively good by ridding it of humans. Each of nan 4 characters has their ain abilities, including a ranged weapon.

I've played Ra Ra Boom for astir 30 minutes and, unfortunately, it hasn't clicked for maine truthful far. I mightiness springiness it different shot, but location are conscionable excessively galore different games retired location waiting to beryllium played.

I do admit games that are astir much than giving players thing nosy to do. There person been rather a fewer complete nan years that purpose to thief group study a language. Another arrived connected Steam this week successful nan shape of Wagotabi: A Japanese Journey, which debuted connected mobile past year.

In this slice-of-life RPG from Wagotabi Limited, you'll research Japan and its culture. It's designed to thief players commencement learning Japanese and it was made pinch beginners successful mind. It features mini games, tests and is afloat voiced successful Japanese. The developers opportunity that much than 300 teachers spanning much than 60 countries person been reviewing nan game, presumably to make judge its lessons are accurate.

The Dark Queen of Mortholme has been disposable connected Itch.io for immoderate time, and it landed connected Steam this week pinch caller features, including support for controllers and Steam Cloud, achievements and more. In this short acquisition from Mosu and patient Monster Theater, you play arsenic nan last leader of a video crippled who has to support fending disconnected a pesky hero. There are aggregate endings and nan 1 that you spot is wished by your speech choices. The Dark Queen of Mortholme seems beautiful interesting, and I'm looking guardant to checking it out.

Upcoming

CrisisX is an ambitious-sounding endurance crafting task from Hero Games. It features an 1,200 km² open-world representation pinch 12 terrains and biomes, including snowy mountains and hidden labs. You tin forge teams, groups and communes to thief you fend disconnected dangers specified arsenic infected and different players. What's really chaotic is that CrisisX will seemingly beryllium capable to support up to 5,000 players connected a azygous server.

It's coming to PC, iOS and Android successful nan 2nd 4th of 2026. Those who are attending Gamescom adjacent week will beryllium capable to play it astatine nan show, while a beta trial is scheduled for later this year. I'm intrigued, not slightest because CrisisX might beryllium nan closest we ever get to The Last of Us Online.

I consciousness for illustration I first heard astir Henry Halfhead everlastingly ago, truthful I'm gladsome that this sandbox escapade yet has a merchandise date. It's coming to Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5 and PC connected September 16.

Henry is, amazingly enough, a characteristic that is half of a head. They're capable to move into immoderate adjacent object, and you tin play arsenic much than 250 different items. There's section co-op support too. It seems cute! Henry Halfhead is coming your measurement courtesy of Lululu Entertainment and co-publisher Popagenda.

If not for Öoo, The Way of nan Tray mightiness person been my favourite crippled successful a basking minute. You'll play arsenic a waiter successful a Japanese tone world, wherever you'll service orders to various spirits aft catching and balancing them connected your tray. Seems for illustration 1 for fans of nan edifice broadside of Dave nan Diver. The Way of nan Tray, which is from Who is Terry and patient Targem Games, hits Steam connected August 25.

CloverPit is a grungy, slot machine-based scary crippled that looks correct up my alley. After all, it's billed arsenic a "demonic lovechild of Balatro and Buckshot Roulette." Sold. You person to accumulate a definite magnitude of rate each information to thief salary disconnected your debt, aliases it's disconnected to nan pit pinch you. It's not astir gambling truthful overmuch arsenic it is uncovering ways to break nan rules of a slot instrumentality to thief you scope your objectives.

There's rather a spot of buzz down this 1 from Panik Arcade and patient Future Friends Games. It's had much than 700,000 demo downloads and is among nan apical wishlisted games connected Steam. CloverPit is coming to said level connected September 3.

Let's wrap things up for this week pinch a crippled that has a very cool aesthetic. Zoe Begone! is a slug hellhole shooter pinch hand-drawn visuals. The thought present is that nan action plays retired connected a movie strip, pinch a devilish animator drafting and coating much enemies for our heroine, Zoe, to overcome. As you mightiness imagine, solo developer Retchy took inspiration from drawn-on-film animation from nan 1930s, peculiarly nan activity of Norman McLaren. As an admirer of Stan Brakhage's work, this speaks to me.

Zoe Begone! is coming to PC, PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo Switch connected September 17. A demo is available connected Steam now.